Botched cataract surgery blinds 14 in India

At least 14 people in western India have lost sight in one eye after botched cataract surgeries, doctors and officials said Thursday, the latest example of poor medical care in the country.AFP | Updated: November 05, 2015, 17:47 IST

More than 300 patients flocked to the free government cataract operation camp, which left 45 patients blind in botched surgeries.Mumbai, Nov 5, 2015: At least 14 people in western India have lost sight in one eye after botched cataract surgeries, doctors and officials said Thursday, the latest example of poor medical care in the country.

Authorities in the state of Maharashtra blamed hospital staff for failing to sterilise equipment properly and causing the blindness, following what is generally considered to be a low-risk operation.

"We have suspended three doctors and some supporting staff. We have launched a high-level inquiry and if they are found guilty they will be removed from the health services," he added.

Twenty three patients were affected by the bungled operations, which took place over a couple of weeks at a district hospital in Washim, around 450 kilometres (280 miles) east of India's commercial capital Mumbai.

After complaining of pain and loss of vision, they were then taken to Mumbai on October 31 where eye specialists were able to fully restore the sight of four patients.

"We operated on all of them and four have had their sight restored. But up until now 14 have lost their vision in one eye. For the other five, we are trying," the dean of J.J. Hospital, T.P. Lahane, told AFP.

Lahane, a cataract expert, said the patients had all suffered from a highly infectious strain of bacteria called "pseudomonas".

Only in India the healthcare financing is very small when compared to the financing by the other forces rather than the patient himself or herself paying out of pocket. Having 70-75% of the expenses as out-of-pocket, in my opinion, is not a right approach to managing healthcare in a country where the patients tend to sub-optimally purchase healthcare if he/she has to pay out-of-pocket.